Key retainers, especially those having the capability of being carried within a user's pocket or wallet, have been well known for many years. Other than the use of conventional key rings, usually most of these key retainers are provided with securing means for holding the key(s) in a stored position within a housing or encasement, primarily to prevent the key(s) when placed in a user's pocket, from ripping and puncturing the fabric of the pocket. Generally, the securing means for holding the key in a stored position may also include the facility to manually manipulate or extend the key to a working locking/unlocking position; in other words, the key may be partially withdrawn from the retainer to expose the working end of the key.
Most of these key retainers are equipped with slidable key securing means which permit a user to slide the key from a stored inoperative position to a partially stored (or attached) operative position. Frequently, the key is secured to a recess or channel provided in the retainer's housing via a pin or other securing means, to allow the key to be partially withdrawn from the retainer. For example, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,924,134 to Segal; 2,546,413 to Williams; 2,608,851 to Leff; 3,224,052 to Abraham; and 3,315,505 to Shelton, all disclose key retainers including channels, guides or recesses for allowing a key(s) to be transferred from a stored position to a working position. However, while these above-discussed patents show key retainers which operate effectively and without much effort, the keys must be connected to the retainer's channel or guide via some type of connecting means, such as a pin or fastener positioned through the key's typical aperture, for allowing the keys to be manually manipulated or extended to working positions. Due to the construction of this type of key retainer, often times the pins or fasteners become dislodged from the keys (and recesses) especially after long periods of use, causing the keys to be either lost or misplaced from their retainers. In addition, key retainers having slidable key connecting means may be adapted to be carried within pockets, but due to the thickness of the retainer's structure, are not readily insertable within wallets and the like.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,173,008 to Cheney, shows a key holder of a similar slidable construction, but incorporates a spring-biased device to hold and secure the key within the retainer's channel. However, spring-biased key retainers are difficult to manufacture and require the use of pins or screws to mount the springs to the retainer, the pins or screws frequently being dislodged after extended use of the retainer.
Furthermore, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,836,053 and 3,004,422 to Starrett, and 2,897,667 to Taylor, all disclose key holders which utilize pivotal key connecting means for pivotally swinging a key from within its holder to a position of operation. Again, while these patents show key retainers which operate without much effort, the keys must still be secured to the key connecting means via pins, rings or screws, which may have the tendency to be dislodged from the keys after the key holder has been used several times.
Magnetic type key holders have recently been available on the market which magnetically secure a key to the holder. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,338 to Lee, discloses a magnetic receptacle for keys, but still requires the utilization of key rings to secure a key within a magnetic channel or recess.
Additionally, attempts have been made in the past to provide a key retainer having the ability to be inserted within the pockets or folds of wallets. Usually most of these retainers are formed of semi-flexible or rigid stiff-like materials for structuring and configuring the retainer to somewhat of a credit card-like appearance, so as to permit the key retainer to be inserted and carried within the pockets and folds of wallets primarily designed for carrying credit cards and the like. The U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,624 to Kernicki, discloses a wallet-insertable key holder formed of molded stiff-like plastic materials, including spaced-apart horizontally extending slits which define regions or bands for retaining keys therein. However, the fact that the keys are not connected to the bands, in other words, the keys are held within the bands only due to the band's tendency to urge the keys against the planar regions of the holder, creates problems of the keys separating from the retainer when sliding a particular key from the holder to a position of operation.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,716 to Marks, shows a similar key retaining device having a generally card-like structure, the retainer being incorporated with a pressure resealable adhesively-coated lid, which retains keys and the like underneath the lid. A major disadvantage of this type of key retaining arrangement is that the lid would have the likelihood of becoming worn, messy and extremely cumbersome after repeated use, and the adhesive employed in this type of key retainer would eventually be exposed to the keys being retained therein, and consequently would contact the hands of the user.
Moreover, no prior key retainer or holder having connection-free key serving means has previously been available, particularly key retainers of this type adapted to be carried within a user's pocket or wallet. There is a great need for a key(s) retainer which can be easily assembled, inexpensively and quickly, and possess the capability of lasting for long periods of use.